Residents' money going toward drain

MANTECA - When Manteca residents and businesses receive their combined February water and sewer bills, they can expect to see an increase averaging more than 18 percent.

Harley Becker

MANTECA - When Manteca residents and businesses receive their combined February water and sewer bills, they can expect to see an increase averaging more than 18 percent.

The new rates go into effect Jan. 1 after the City Council gave final approval for five years of increases earlier this month.

When the new rate structure ends in 2013, the average residential customer will be paying 47 percent more for water and sewer service.

Under the new rates, a typical residential customer will see the monthly water bill increase from $44.49 to $46 next year, according to a water rate study that proposed the increase.

The sewer bill for residences will increase from $34.80 to $39.50, as recommended in a separate sewer rate study.

Combining water and sewer bills, the old total for the average customer was $72.29. The new total will be $85.50, a $13.21 increase.

In January 2013, the average combined bill will be $106.23, a $33.94 increase - or 47 percent - over the current total.

The water and sewer studies found the increases are necessary, and the council agreed unanimously, for several reasons:

-- Significant upcoming capital improvement costs, such as replacing aging pipelines and reducing arsenic levels in water from some of the city's wells along with state-mandated upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant.

-- Paying for water and sewer treatment plant bond issues already sold or being considered.

-- Increased operating and maintenance costs. For example, the cost of filters used in the arsenic removal process are expected to more than double in the next five years, according to the study.

Robert Clausen, a retired Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory worker and one of a few people who questioned the increases before the council during an October public hearing, said he understands the need for some increase, but he continues to believe developers, not longtime residents, should be paying a greater share of the costs.

Longtime residents should be given a break, he said.

A Manteca resident since 1972, Clausen has lived in his home since 1976. He said he has never seen the city make improvements to the sewer system in his area, and he doesn't believe he should be paying for costs brought on by developers.

While there is nothing the average customer can do to lower their sewer bill, which is the same for all residences, the water bill can be trimmed by conserving, said Phil Govea, deputy director of public works and engineering.

The rate structure includes a base amount determined by the size of the water meter plus charges depending on how much water a household uses. The typical residence in the study's comparisons uses about 590 gallons of water a day. At the current rate, the cost for just the water is $24.24 a month. Under the rate that starts Jan. 1, the cost will be $26.

By conserving 50 gallons of water a day, a homeowner could save about $5 a month in 2009. The savings for conserving grow each year as the rates are adjusted upward.

While about 90 percent of Manteca's customers fall into the residential category, area businesses face similar increases.

There is no average business customer, however, because rates vary according to meter size, water usage, the type of business, and the amount and makeup of sewage discharged.

The basic sewer rate for a school will be $21.94 per 748 gallons of water used, while restaurants will pay $66.09 for using the same amount of water, and a supermarket or mortuary will pay $68.85. When the final rate increase kicks in Jan. 1, 2013, those rates will have increased nearly 30 percent.